Tyler Herro again out for Game 2 of Finals, but Heat ‘excited and encouraged by his progress’

Despite being listed as out on the eve of Game 2 of the NBA Finals, there remained a chance that Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro could be upgraded on the injury report in time to play on Sunday night.

But Herro has been definitively ruled out for Game 2 of the Finals against the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena. Herro has not played since breaking his right hand in the opening game of the team’s playoff run.

However, Caleb Martin (illness) and Cody Zeller (sprained right foot) will be available to play for the Heat on Sunday after initially being listed as questionable for Game 2.

The hope is still that Herro will be able to come back at some point during the Finals, with his next opportunity for a return coming in Game 3 on Wednesday in Miami.

“He is progressing. We’re really encouraged by the progress,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said of Herro ahead of Game 2. “He started doing contact work as soon as we got to Denver.

“We have to maintain perspective. We want to be responsible about this. We’re all excited and encouraged by his progress, but we’ll get back to Miami. All we’re doing is sticking to the process, trying to stack positive days, also understanding this is not trying to return to a game in December. This is the Finals. So, there is a little bit of context to this.”

Herro, 23, underwent surgery on his right hand, his shooting hand, on April 21. At that time, the Heat announced Herro would miss a minimum of six weeks.

This past Friday marked six weeks since the surgery.

Herro suffered the injury while diving for a loose ball in the final minute of the first half of Game 1 of the Heat’s first-round playoff series against the Milwaukee Bucks on April 16. Herro initially wore a cast on his hand after the surgery before having it replaced by a brace, and he was cleared to resume non-contact basketball activities about two weeks ago.

Herro, a fixture in the Heat’s starting lineup, closed the regular season as the Heat’s third-leading scorer with 20.1 points per game on 43.9 percent shooting from the field and 37.8 percent shooting on threes. Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler were the only Heat players who averaged more points than Herro.

Herro’s four-year, $130 million extension that he signed with the Heat in October begins next season.

The Heat also remains without guard Victor Oladipo, who tore the patellar tendon in his left knee in the first round of the playoffs.

“We’ve talked about knowing he’s going to come back at some point in this series,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said before Game 2 of preparing for Herro’s possible return. “Hasn’t played since Game 1 of that Milwaukee series. He’s been out for a while. We know what kind of talent he is. His ability to play off the bounce, create for himself, create for his teammates and obviously shoot the three ball. If and when he becomes available, our guys will be ready, from a personnel standpoint and a game plan standpoint.”